You currently have javascript disabled. Several functions may not work. Please re-enable javascript to access full functionality.

Welcome to Ultimate Subaru Message Board, my lurker friend!

Welcome to Ultimate Subaru Message Board, an unparalleled Subaru community full of the greatest Subaru gurus and modders on the planet! We offer technical information and discussion about all things Subaru, the best and most popular all wheel drive vehicles ever created.

We offer all this information for free to everyone, even lurkers like you! All we ask in return is that you sign up and give back some of what you get out - without our awesome registered users none of this would be possible! Plus, you get way more great stuff as a member! Lurk to lose, participate to WIN*!

Say hello and join the conversation

Subscribe to topics and forums to get automatic updates

Get your own profile and make new friends

Classifieds with all sorts of Subaru goodies

Photo hosting in our gallery

Meet other cool people with cool cars

Seriously, what are you waiting for? Make your life more fulfilling and join today! You and your Subaru won't regret it, we guarantee** it.

* The joy of participation and being generally awesome constitutes winning** Not an actual guarantee, but seriously, you probably won't regret it!

Oil fumes stinkin' us out!

Now that the cold weather is upon us (and I got the heater working again) my 92 Subaru is stinkin' us out with oil fumes.

Like most all older cars, mine has a slight oil leak. Normally this is no big deal, but when the oil heats up on the hot engine, it turns to a vapor and gets sucked into the cabin when the heat is on.

I see that the hood has a rubber gasket in between the engine compartment and the air vent intake for the cabin. I think this gasket is not sealing tight and is letting the fumes mix in with the heated air.

Question:
How can I prevent the oil fumes from entering the cabin?
Would adding some weather stripping help?
Is there a way to re-route the fresh air intake?

It appears that the oil dripping onto my exhaust is coming from the valve cover bolt boots. I had a local replace the valve cover gaskets since he described the leak from that area but I only learned later that the rubber gaskets/boots that the bolts go through need to be changed as well (Subaru sells them in a kit but I'm sure he didn't use SOA).. If I feel around the bolts, there is always oil seeping through. Just a thought but perhaps yours is a similar situation. It sits up high and doesn't even need to be blown back on the exhaust... just drips on down and stinks.

Well... I found some waterproof weatherstripping at the local home imporvement store to seal the hood where the engine compartment meets the fresh air intake for the cabin.

I also found some black RTV silicone that is hi-temp and oil-proof! I cleaned, then siliconed all the places I though were leaking.

As for the leak around the timing belt cover, I found in my records that the crank shaft oil seal was already replaced, but I don't think the seals on the timing belt pullys were.

So... to prevent the oil from collecting within the timing belt cover I drilled a little hole in the bottom of the cover and added a tube with catch bottle to help drain and collect any oil that may be leaking from the timing belt pully oil seals.

I've got the same problem with my '92 Turbo wagon. I've had 2 different diag.: that my turbo is blowing oil and failing and the other says it's an oil leak from the valve cover gaskets. I tend to believe the second. It isn't so bad when the heater isn't on except when I get to a light I have all this smoke billowing out from under the hood about 10 min. into the trip. This seems to be what has accumulated overnight as it doesn't do it later in the trip. It freaks the guys out next to me at the light tho! It is also very stinky.

What are your opinions on cause. Can it continue without causing bigger problems as long as I check the oil regularly? I just plunked down $600 for timing belt and water pump and can't afford anything else for awhile!

try to rule out the turbo as quickly as you can. loosing oil at the turbo isn't great, might cause more problems for you later. in general oil leaks are much more annoying that dangerous....smoke, spots on pavement...etc. keep checking and adding and don't neglect oil changes profusely just bedcuase you're adding *new* oil. if you're loosing oil at the turbo, that should be obvious by looking...i think. i can't imagine it's all that hard to distinguish between a turbo leak and a valve cover leak. snug up your valve cover bolts, that may help a valve cover leak. or just replace your valve cover gaskets. if the motor is too dirty/oily, spray it off with engine cleaner so you can identify the leaks.

if that's an EA82 i'd suggest a new mechanic. 600 for a timing belt and water pump seems high. i hope he resealed your oil pump and replaced the cam and crank seal while he was in there otherwise your new timing belt gets removed (another couple hundred dollars) all over again just to replace parts that cost less than 10 dollars. i rebuilt someone's EA82 this summer for 1,200 including ported heads, repaired heads, valve job, performance cam grind, complete head gasket job and reseal, all new timing belts and pulley, rebuilt oil pump....blah blah blah.... my point is that a timing belt and water pump should run you about half that or less. unless you have the dealer do everything.

if that's an EA82 i'd suggest a new mechanic. 600 for a timing belt and water pump seems high. i hope he resealed your oil pump and replaced the cam and crank seal while he was in there otherwise your new timing belt gets removed (another couple hundred dollars) all over again just to replace parts that cost less than 10 dollars. i rebuilt someone's EA82 this summer for 1,200 including ported heads, repaired heads, valve job, performance cam grind, complete head gasket job and reseal, all new timing belts and pulley, rebuilt oil pump....blah blah blah.... my point is that a timing belt and water pump should run you about half that or less. unless you have the dealer do everything.

good luck and have fun

Keep telling you to open up 'Gary's Garage'. I'd travel down to Maryland just for your services. Set it up for appointments only. And thanks again for all of your help in the past and present.

I'm working my regular 12hr shift, overtime, supervisor shift detail and detail overtime. I don't see getting off a day until sometime the middle of January (if possible). So peeps with your services would be a Godsend! I'm half kidding but if you did it........$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.

bought a house this week with a barn that will turn into my garage very shortly. let me know what you need/want done (I've already got some projects lined up). my other XT6 isn't driveable yet and my truck doesn't have a spare and has expired tags (i just got it), otherwise i'd start the project on my daily driver XT6.

i almost laughed when i saw your signature posted to this thread, i thought for sure you were going to comment on the oil leaks.....us XT6er's have plenty of experience with them!

My 92 was always dripping oil onto the Y-Pipes until I re-sealed the heads and cam boxes. That seemed to be the only way. I found Aviation Gasket Glue the best to coat the head gaskets with before closing up. The oil feed O-Ring doesn't have enough crush when checking it. Poor design.After this, I got 150,000 kms leak free and still running after we sold it.

Hi All,

Now that the cold weather is upon us (and I got the heater working again) my 92 Subaru is stinkin' us out with oil fumes.

Like most all older cars, mine has a slight oil leak. Normally this is no big deal, but when the oil heats up on the hot engine, it turns to a vapor and gets sucked into the cabin when the heat is on.

I see that the hood has a rubber gasket in between the engine compartment and the air vent intake for the cabin. I think this gasket is not sealing tight and is letting the fumes mix in with the heated air.

Question:How can I prevent the oil fumes from entering the cabin?Would adding some weather stripping help?Is there a way to re-route the fresh air intake?